Epilogue
Six months later
“When’s Chase getting here?” Alexander grabbed Sage’s arm as she hurried past and pulled her to him.
“Around seven.” She tried to extricate herself. Yeah, not going to happen. She pointed to her gold marcasite watch, the one Alexander had given her the day he permanently moved into her place— their place—which coincided with their one-month anniversary.
“He’s going to arrive any minute!” Her tone said she wanted to finish getting ready, but her eyes clearly expressed she wished he’d treat her to a quickie before her brother invaded their intimate space.
“You’ve got two choices. One, I go down on you and make you climax in seconds or two, I fuck you against the door and make us both come in less than a minute.”
Her breath hitched and she stared into his eyes with a mix of hesitancy and desire.
“Hurry and decide.”
“I want you to come with me.”
“I knew you were my soulmate.”
She slid out of her lacy scrap of a thong and he pressed her into the closed bedroom door. He bunched up her skirt, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck.
Alexander ripped open his fly, his erect cock finding her entrance like a heat-seeking missile and drove home, balls deep.
She cried out and urged him on. “Alexander!”
He thrust slow and steady, rubbing his pelvis against her clit. “What do you need, baby?”
“Harder, faster. Get me there! If Chase comes before I get off…”
He didn’t even let her finish her sentence, pumping into her with wild, primal abandon. Not even thirty seconds later, she screamed his name.
He chased her orgasm, her insides milking him beautifully and he came, spilling inside her with a force greater than a tsunami.
He smashed his lips to hers in a loving, euphoric kiss, his dick still buried inside her sex.
The doorbell rang.
She held his face. “I told you, he’s never late.”
“His problem. He can wait.” Why did they invite Chase over again?
Oh yeah, because Alexander wanted to test out his new-occupation idea. Get some feedback from those closest to him, those who would affect his choices going forward.
With eyes sparkling, Sage pressed a mind-bending kiss to his lips, and he slipped out of her. “You’re fucking hot, baby. Beautiful. I love you so damn much.”
“Love you, too.” Her smile tracked a path directly to the core of his heart.
“I’ll get the door.” And he would, except his emotions were still a bit raw. He loved Sage more than life itself and wanted to marry her. But he worried about her opinion on his career decision.
“Okay,” she said, and took off into the en suite.
The doorbell rang a second time.
“Coming.” He tucked his very satisfied dick into his pants, redid his fly and half-jogged down the stairs to the entrance to let Chase in.
“What was the delay? Or shouldn’t I ask?” Her brother’s smug smile said he had a pretty good idea about what they’d been doing.
“Don’t ask.” Alexander waved him in. “Come on through.”
He grabbed a beer for himself and his best mate, and a sparkling wine for Sage, then served up their plates of lasagna and Mediterranean salad. Sage soon joined them, and they started eating.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Chase said, in between mouthfuls of food.
Sage huff-laughed. “No pressure or anything.” She glanced at Alexander.
“Soon. I thought April. You’re going to make a beautiful bride.” He rubbed his palm along her thigh and squeezed.
She looked almost giddy with elation. “Oh, that’s perfect. I love April weather!”
“I know.”
He couldn’t miss the tears of joy glistening in her eyes. And fuck, it almost made him want to take the plunge tomorrow. But the wedding would come around soon enough, assuming she supported his self-funded career prospects. He could be patient. They’d already waited several years, what were a few more months?
She stared at him with an abundance of love and devotion. He fucking wished they were alone so he could show her exactly how much he appreciated her, their relationship.
“Should I go home?” Chase’s smirk-filled voice interrupted their little I-love-you-so-much cocoon.
“No.” Alexander swung his gaze to his best friend, then back to his woman. “There’s something I want to run by you both.”
They looked at him with quizzical expressions, ramping up the tension in his body.
Alexander couldn’t put the conversation off any longer. He had to explain his intentions, especially before Sage fully committed to him. He didn’t want her to feel manipulated or bullied into a situation.
From the moment they’d slept together, literally and figuratively, his nightmares had stopped. He’d kept waiting for them to rear their ugly head but…nothing. Thank fuck.
Having her support, and that of the psychologist Sage had arranged, had helped enormously. Now he had to get through this last hurdle.
He had mulled over what it would take to reintegrate into normality, what kind of work would make him happy, fulfilled, feel useful. And he’d chosen a vocation, fear and uncertainty coercing him into holding his controversial cards close to his chest.
“I’ve decided on something as a possible career.”
“You have?” Sage’s eyes lit up like a neon sign on the Vegas strip. She’d returned to work after a month’s break without any major issues—so far, hopefully never—and had discovered a renewed love of her job. Knowing Mallory had been convicted and put away for several years with regular psychological intervention had also helped.
“Yeah.” He inhaled slow and deep. “I want to start a private security company, working on government contracts, as well as weighing up the suitability of any other interesting cases that come along. Before you say anything, let me finish.”
They nodded, their gazes steadfast, unblinking.
“I have the experience and the expertise. I won’t do many physical assignments—only if the contract calls for it. Mostly, I intend to oversee operations and employ ex-military, ex-police force, ex-firefighters, anyone who still has the drive to protect others but can’t return to their previous occupation. I want to hire those who have the skills and desire to re-find purpose in their lives.”
He chanced a glance at Chase first, then Sage. Their beaming smiles reinforced their support and unconditional love. “I was thinking of calling it ‘Solve Security’. Solve cases, solve ex-service people’s concerns and uncertainty about new career options, about where they fit in. What do you think?”
“It’s fucking fantastic—the idea, the name.” Chase slapped him hard on the shoulder and grinned.
Alexander grinned back. One down, one to go. He swept his gaze to his woman and waited for her response. His heart hadn’t pounded this hard since he worried he might lose the love of his life.
She smiled, big and broad and full-on affectionate. “I think it’s brilliant. And we’ll assist you in any way we can to get the project up and going.”
Thank fuck he had plenty of capital from good investments as well as his military payout and pension. Plus the closest, most important people understood his need to engage in meaningful activity or else he’d struggle.
He blew out a relieved breath. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this whole venture hinged on your backing—not that I’d planned to put pressure on either of you or anything.”
They both laughed.
Sage climbed onto Alexander’s lap, giving him an amazing squish hug. Protecting his woman, helping save her life, saved his. Her love for him provided the priceless added bonus.
No, more than that. It sustained him, added to his resolve, solidified a new strong foundation.
He had dropped his vocational bombshell on them, and they’d responded even better than he’d hoped. He really had surrounded himself with the best possible people—kind, loving, compassionate, understanding. They had his back, and he had theirs…now and forever.
Alexander delved into the front pocket of his jeans and met Sage’s gaze. “I suppose I should make it all official, you know, confirm you want to marry me?”
“Of course I do! April bride, remember?”
A full-on ecstatic smile stretched almost to the edges of his face.
“Now, where’s my ring?” She grabbed his closed hand and tried to pry it open.
He and Chase chuckled. So Sage.
Alexander unfurled his fingers, exposing the piece of expensive vintage jewelry, sitting atop his palm.
She gasped.
Just the response he’d hoped for because, yeah, he’d bought the exact type of design she’d dreamed about as a teenager.
The moment he’d decided to propose, he’d selected the ‘Sage engagement ring’ file from his brain—a solitaire canary diamond—and searched for it. Going by her reaction, he’d found the perfect replica.
“How did you…? You noticed.” She said it like she couldn’t quite believe he got her so well…even now.
Tears spilled onto her cheeks, and he swiped away the descending drops with the pad of his thumb. “I always took notice of you, and I always will.”
“Awww… You two are sickeningly sweet. Fucking fructose to the max. If dinner wasn’t five-star Michelin standard, I’d be regurgitating it right now.” Chase stared at them with a pleased, I-knew-it, I’m-giving-you-shit-cause-I-can expression.
Alexander held his future wife against him and stared at his brother-in-law-to-be. “Well, you better get your responses under control because you’re going to be my best man.”
Chase raised his glass and saluted them. “Best night ever!”
Sage kissed her brother on the cheek then Alexander on the lips. “Couldn’t have said it more eloquently myself.”
Alexander couldn’t agree more.